Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that hit Asia caused a significant rethinking of the old system of business-government alliances and the management by the public of private risks. In Korea this meant a shift in the development paradigm.
In a controversial decision, South Korea's government has requested textbook publishers to ignore requests to eliminate examples of evolution in science books for high school students. These include the evidence for evolution of horses and the bird ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A group of creationists in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution in high school science textbooks. This was the result of a campaign by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) which is an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research which aims to get rid of textbooks on biology of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that this kind of materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students and leads to their eventual loss of faith.
Scientists across the globe expressed concern when the STR campaign made headlines. 에볼루션 슬롯 , an evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul, complained in an email to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was backed by colleagues from across the country, who formed an organization called Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
Some researchers are concerned that the STR campaign could spread to other regions of the world, where the spread of creationism is increasing. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolutionist movement will push for textbook revisions in other countries, notably those with large Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea's culture is particularly strong for the debate on evolution. 26 percent of the nation's citizens belong to an organized religion and the majority of them practice Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, a lot of Koreans adhere to Ch'ondogyo, a philosophy based on Confucian principles which emphasizes harmony in society and individual self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches that human beings are one with Hanulnim the God of the Sun, and that heavenly blessings are possible by doing good deeds.
All of this has created fertile ground for the spread of creationism. Multiple studies have shown students with religious backgrounds to be more hesitant to learn about evolution as compared to those who do not. The underlying reasons for this phenomenon are not clear. One explanation is that students who have a religious background tend not to be as well-versed in scientific theories and concepts, which makes them more vulnerable to the influence of creationists. Another possibility is that students who have religious beliefs are more likely to see evolution as an atheistic idea which could make them less at ease with it.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, the scientific community has been concerned about anti-evolution efforts in schools. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that more than 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is wrong and that a belief in it would be contrary to their faith-based beliefs. Despite the popularity of creationism in some states, many scientists feel that the best way to stop this trend is not to be actively involved in it, but to educate people about the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists have a duty to instruct their students in science and the theory of evolution. They should also educate the public on the research process and how knowledge is verified. They should also clarify that scientific theories are frequently challenged and reformulated. However, misperceptions regarding the nature of scientific research often cause people to believe that evolution is not real.
Many people mistake the term "theory" as a hunch or a guess. In science, however, the hypothesis is tested thoroughly and empirical evidence is used to prove it. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed becomes a scientific principal.
The debate about the theory of evolution is a wonderful opportunity to discuss both the importance of the scientific method and its limits. It is crucial for people to understand that science is not able to answer questions about the meaning or meaning of life, but it is merely a means that allows living things to develop and adapt.
Moreover, a well-rounded education should include exposure to the vast majority of scientific fields including evolutionary biology. This is particularly important because the jobs that people hold and the choices they make require understanding of how science works.
The majority of scientists around the world believe that humans have evolved through time. A recent study predicting adults' view of the consensus around this issue found that those with higher education levels and knowledge of science were more likely to believe that there is a general consensus between scientists regarding human evolution. Those with more religious faith but less knowledge of science tend to be more divided. It is crucial that educators insist on the importance of understanding this consensus to enable people to make informed decisions regarding health care, energy usage and other issues of policy.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close relative of the popular evolutionary theory. It examines how organisms like humans learn from one another. Researchers in this field employ explanatory tools and investigative models adapted from evolutionary theorists. They also go back to the prehistoric human to determine the origins of culture.
This approach also acknowledges the difference between cultural and biological traits. Cultural traits can be acquired gradually while biological traits are usually acquired simultaneously (in the case of sexual species after fertilization). The acquisition of one cultural characteristic may affect the growth and development of a different.
In Korea the introduction of Western styles in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth century was the result of an elaborate sequence of events. One of the most significant was the arrival of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western hairstyles and styles of clothing to Korean society.
When Japan departed Korea in the 1930s, a few of these trends began revert. By the end of World War II, Korea had once again unified but this time under the rule of the Choson dynasty.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the current global financial crisis, the economy of Korea has been growing steadily over the last decade and is set to sustain its steady growth in the coming years.
The current government is faced by a myriad of problems. One of the most significant is its inability to develop a coherent policy to tackle the economic crisis. The crisis has revealed weaknesses in the country's policies particularly its dependence on exports and foreign investment which could not last.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors, the government must reconsider its economic strategy and find alternative ways to boost domestic demand. To ensure a stable financial climate the government will need to reform its incentive system, monitoring and discipline. This chapter offers a variety of scenarios for how the Korean economy might grow in a post-crisis environment.
4. Evolution and Education
The biggest challenge for educators of evolution is how to present evolutionary concepts in a manner that is appropriate for students of various ages and developmental stages. Teachers need to, for instance be mindful of the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a welcoming environment where students with both secular and religious beliefs are comfortable. Teachers must be able to recognize common misconceptions regarding evolution and know how to correct them in the classroom. Finally, teachers must be able to access a range of resources that are available to teach evolution and be able locate them quickly.
In this context the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was a crucial step in bringing evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of disciplines to discuss most effective methods of teaching evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies as well as educational research, officials of government funding agencies as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of diverse stakeholders led to the development of the common recommendations that will serve as the basis for future actions.
One important recommendation is that the subject of evolution should be included in all science curricula at any level. National Science Education Standards (NRC) which require the integration of evolution across all life sciences with an educational progression that is developmental appropriate, are a way to accomplish this goal. A new publication from the NRC provides guidelines to schools about how to incorporate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that a more comprehensive explanation of evolution can lead to a greater understanding of students and belief in the existence of evolution. It is difficult to quantify the causal effects of evolution in the classroom because the curriculum for schools do not change randomly and are affected by the timing of state board of education and gubernatorial election. To overcome this limitation, i use an ongoing dataset that gives me control for state and years fixed effects and individual-level variations in teacher beliefs about evolutionary theory.
Another important result is that teachers who are more comfortable with teaching evolution report having less personal barriers to teaching it. This is in line with the hypothesis that more experienced faculty are less likely to avoid questions about evolution in the classroom, and may be more likely to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method that is known to boost the students' understanding of evolution.